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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179734">If Only</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsi/pseuds/Lilsi'>Lilsi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Bill (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Craig at Sunhill, Fun in the hotel room, Luke at Barton Street, M/M, Rugby, stag do</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:14:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilsi/pseuds/Lilsi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fluff, no violence, no gore, a rugby match, a touch of bad language and enthusiastic use of a spa.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Ashton/Craig Gilmore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Two sergeants (July,2002)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fanfiction was once posted at Craiggilmore.co.uk a fan site no longer active, so to preserve this story and others, I am importing them to AO3. I did not want the loss of such a large amount of amazing and wonderful fanfiction, it would be such a waste to fans of Craig Gilmore and Luke Ashton to not have the opportunity to enjoy these stories as i have. Since the site is no longer active i have been unable to contact the creators but if you happen to be them under a new pen name and want the fiction to be removed please send me a note!</p><p>Story written by - Baxter</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two sergeants are discussing a new police constable who will be joining their station today. Their talk is lively and informed.</p><p>“Well, Medecins Sans Frontiers, that’s very impressive,” one sergeant says.</p><p>The other shrugs. “I’d be more inclined to wait and see how he performs in this job before I wax lyrical about some overseas charity job.”</p><p>The first sergeant is a man of conviction. “I disagree,” he says plainly, and continues to read the young constable’s personal file.</p><p>Later that morning Luke Ashton arrives for his first day back on the job at Barton Street.</p><p>Over at Sun Hill Police Station Sergeant Craig Gilmore and Sergeant Matthew Boyden are exchanging horror stories about a new police constable – one Giles Pickersgill – who is scheduled to start at Sun Hill today. The hapless Pickersgill is already ten minutes late.</p><p>Unlike Constable Ashton, who arrived at Barton Street ten minutes early.</p><p>The two sergeants at Barton Street like Ashton already.</p><p> </p><p>Still July</p><p>Sergeant Craig Gilmore is not having an easy time of it. He spends most of his waking hours at work and his personal life is anything but comfortable at the moment.</p><p>He comes home one night, dog tired and irritable, to find his home three-quarters empty. The CD player’s gone, the bookcases have been mostly cleaned out, even the toothpaste is missing.</p><p>The few possessions left include the toaster, a rather healthy orchid and a framed photo of the sergeant and his (apparently) former boyfriend.</p><p>On the table is an involved eloquent note from Sean explaining that he has indeed left Craig and why.</p><p>That night Craig sits in the dark and eats microwaved soup.</p><p> </p><p>August<br/>The hot blonde</p><p>Kerry Young bounces into her first day at Sun Hill full of expectation and good will. She has already proved herself to be efficient and proficient on the job, having attended a serious road accident on her way to work.</p><p>She sits and talks with her new supervisor, Sergeant Gilmore.</p><p>After a few minutes she rightly assumes he is gay because he has neither stared at her chest nor asked her out.</p><p>Sergeant Gilmore thinks Kerry must spend a lot of her free time at the solarium. Outside of that he has no fixed opinions of her, but she seems nice enough.</p><p>Kerry is engaged to a rather volatile solicitor called Martin. At the moment she loathes him; in a few days they will be more in love than ever, then she will loathe him again.</p><p>She admits to feeling unsure about Martin.</p><p> </p><p>August still<br/>The awakening</p><p>Luke Ashton, meanwhile, proves himself to be an invaluable and most respected member of his relief at Barton Street.</p><p>Privately he is grappling with Issues. Am I straight or am I gay? he wonders continuously. Mounting evidence piles up strongly in the gay file:<br/>*Luke finds men attractive in every way<br/>*Luke does not find women sexually attractive<br/>*Luke turns down three separate invitations from three separate and very different female members of the relief<br/>*Luke still reels from a long unresolved crush he had on a tall dark eyed American male nurse with whom he worked in the Belgian Congo<br/>*Luke finds himself rather partial to other tall men with dark eyes.</p><p>Probably gay, Luke muses more and more.<br/>1	 <br/>The great big siege</p><p>It is bedlam down on the Canley High Street. Some clown is holding several people and a poodle hostage in Clarks shoe store.</p><p>Sergeant Craig Gilmore (SO 33, Sun Hill) talks in urgent tones with Sergeant Krista Singh (SC 199, Barton Street).</p><p>“Is he really a clown?” Gilmore asks.</p><p>“Apparently,” Singh answers. “He was arrested the other day for suspected indecent exposure.”</p><p>“How can you can suspect someone of indecent exposure?” Gilmore asks.</p><p>“Well, he was wearing big floppy pants,” Krista explains. “The victim wasn’t sure if the clown was indecently exposed or not.”</p><p>It is too complex for Craig, who’s heard enough anyway.</p><p>“Why the siege?”</p><p>“Something to do with shoes, I think.”</p><p>The sergeants stare over at the shoe store. All is quiet until Krista remembers something very important.</p><p>“Ashton,” she says.</p><p>“Who’s Ashton?” Craig asks, as well he might.</p><p>“New constable. Absolute balltearer. Charges head first into every dangerous situation he can find.”</p><p>Craig is a little intrigued.</p><p>“Why?” he asks.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Krista sighs.</p><p>“Send him on a risk management course.”</p><p>“He’s done four,” Krista interrupts. “There’s no point. I just hope a burning beam falls on his head or something and he learns the hard way.”</p><p>Craig knows she’s not serious.</p><p>“Well, if any of my relief endangered themselves or others like that I’d kick their arse to Cardiff,” he says succinctly.</p><p>“Well, if Ashton is doing what I suspect he’s doing, you can kick his arse when I’ve finished.”</p><p>And of course Ashton is in the store, attempting to negotiate with the clown, who unfortunately has a number of severe mental illnesses.</p><p>Thanks to Luke’s sensitive and sensible handling of the situation, however, no one is hurt, the shoes are preserved, the poodle’s fine and the clown is handed over to social services.</p><p>Krista decided to wait until she gets back to the station before she kicks Luke’s arse to Cardiff.</p><p>Craig doesn’t meet Luke that day, not formally. He becomes AWARE of him, aware of someone staring at him from not too great a distance.</p><p>Who’s that? Luke wonders when he see the tall, dark-eyed Sergeant.</p><p>Why is that young constable staring at me? Craig wonders when he sees Luke standing with some ambulance officers.</p><p>“Craig,” Krista calls out, approaching him about some minor procedural matter.</p><p>Craig. Tall, dark-eyed Craig, thinks Luke.</p><p>And after Craig has given Krista the information she needs, she spies Ashton. “Constable Ashton,” she calls out to him, and Craig looks across.</p><p>Ah. The famous balltearing Luke Ashton, thinks Craig. Luke who stares.</p><p>“I remember the first time I saw you, remember exactly what I was doing, the moment I laid eyes on you,” Craig tells Luke months later on the morning of the wedding.</p><p> </p><p>Oh there she is</p><p>“..and don’t even get me started on the Welsh,” Gina Gold says with her usual sprinkling of pepper when she assigns Craig and the hapless Pickersgill on a gay bashing inquiry.</p><p>Why me, Craig moans to himself, stuck in the car with the boring, uninformed and entirely unpleasant Pickersgill.</p><p>Plays for my team</p><p>“Can you play rugby?” Sergeant Peter Dawkins asks Luke at the end of his shift.</p><p>“Played a bit when I was at school,” Luke says, shrugging. “I’m not what you’d call good.”</p><p>“Not interested in how good you are, I’m interested in whether I can put you down for a match against Sun Hill.”</p><p>Luke’s face lights up. “Yeah! I used to work there!” He looks at the list of players Sun Hill has fielded thus far. “Don’t know many of these blokes, though.” Luke runs his finger down the list. Craig.</p><p>“Craig?” he asks idly, “Sergeant? Tall bloke at the siege the other day?”</p><p>Dawkins, tall, blonde, attractive Dawkins,  smiles approvingly. “That’s right. Craig Gilmore.” Dawkins continues to smile because he knows Gilmore is now a single man, and he would like to remedy that.</p><p>Tall, dark-eyed Craig.</p><p>“What position do you play?” Dawkins asks the constable.</p><p>“Half back,” Luke tells him.</p><p> </p><p>Plays for the other side</p><p>Matt Boyden is reading the list too, over at Sun Hill. He expected to end up on the wing maybe, perhaps in scrum. Smoke pours from his ears when he sees his name down as Orange Boy.</p><p>That lousy bloody poof Gilmore, Boyden curses as he stamps back to the custody desk.</p><p>“You play, Sarge?” Gary Best asks Craig, as the relief sit at lunch together the next day.</p><p>“I’m Welsh,” he says by way of explanation.</p><p>Best stares at him blankly.</p><p>“It’s a religion down there,” Tony Stamp explains. “Isn’t it Sarge?”</p><p>“Pretty much,” Gilmore agrees.</p><p>Stamp is perusing the list of players. “Oh! Luke Ashton’s the half back!”</p><p>“’Ooo’s he?” Best asks.</p><p>Craig’s all ears, yet he barely moves a muscle.</p><p>“I was his puppy walker when he was here,” Tony says fondly. “Great kid. Well, he wouldn’t be a kid any more, must be twenty three, twenty four now.” Tony sighs. “Good bloke. It’ll be great to catch up with him again.”</p><p>And Tony puts himself down as a lock.</p><p>“What about you, Sarge? What do you play?”</p><p>“I’m on the wing, Tony,” he says confidently.</p><p>“A man of speed!” Tony jokes.</p><p>“Sometimes,” the enigmatic Craig smiles. When I’m after balltearing halfbacks.</p><p>Meanwhile the lovely Kerry Young, who seems to grow blonder and browner every time Craig sees her, has announced her engagement to the largely repulsive Martin.</p><p>“He’s planning a huge stag party,” Kerry tells them all at refs a few days later. “A couple of his mates are paying for an open tab at the bar down the pub. You’re all invited!”</p><p>Sounds fab, Craig thinks glumly. A pack of straight, drunken, solicitors.</p><p>Sergeant Dawkins, who is a firm friend of Martin, has also been given a free rein to invite any of his relief to the stag night, just six weeks away.</p><p>I’d rather dig my eyeballs out with a biro, is Luke’s private reaction when hears this news.</p><p> </p><p>The Big Match</p><p>“Heard on the poofy cop grapevine that you’ve broken up with Sean,” Sergeant Dawkins says quietly to Craig in the changing room just before the Big Match.<br/>“You heard right,” Craig confirms. Please don’t let Dawkins ask me out. Please, no, anyone but Dawkins.</p><p>“You seeing anyone now?” Dawkins asks hopefully, watching as Craig knots the drawstring of his rugby shorts twice.</p><p>“Having a bit of a break at the moment,” Craig says pleasantly, all the time wishing he were better liar.</p><p>Constable Ashton is standing over the lockers, hiding behind the open door, hanging on every word.</p><p>Single, gay, Craig. Tall, dark-eyed, single, gay Craig who is being pursued by Sergeant Dawkins.</p><p>PC Ashton pulls a blue and white jersey over his head and closes the locker door. Dawkins has already taken the hint and gone onto the field; Ashton walks past tall, dark-eyed, single gay Craig just in time to see the Sergeant popping his<br/>mouth guard in. He looks Ashton directly in the eye when he does this.</p><p>“Constable,” Craig says through his mouthguard.</p><p>“Sarge,” Luke answers, looking away, trying not to smile.</p><p>Cute, thinks the Sergeant.</p><p>Oh my God, thinks the constable.</p><p>So that was really the first time they met.</p><p>Tackle</p><p> “Drive it!” Sergeant Gilmore is roaring at the scrum while Ashton hovers a few feet from him, waiting to collect the ball he fed in a few seconds before.</p><p>The huge group of sweaty men haul their weight against each other, knocking the ball around under their feet. Luke is quick and nimble, and grabs the ball the moment it is pushed outside the scrum. There’s no back up, so he takes a run, only to find his legs clamped together and his body skidding along the ground when Craig tackles him.</p><p>Luke releases the ball, Craig releases Luke. Luke looks down at the larger man who has picked himself up and is dislodging his mouthguard, clearly to tell Luke something.</p><p>“Sorry,” he says to Luke, then slips the plastic brace back in his smiling mouth and runs off to the rest of the pack.</p><p>Sergeant Gilmore tackles Luke six more times during the game, and every time he does, he slips his mouth guard out and apologises.</p><p>By the time the teams go back to the dressing room, Luke no longer has any doubt as to his sexuality.</p><p>His realisation is confirmed as he watches Gilmore’s broad back in the shower from the bench.</p><p>Oh, I am so very gay, Luke muses as water streams down Gilmore’s back, over his hard arse, down the length of his thighs, down to the drain near his long feet.</p><p>Come and have a shower, constable, Gilmore thinks.</p><p>Luke waits until Craig is dressing on the other side of the locker room before he gets in the shower.</p><p>“Did you know you loved me all that time?” Luke asks Craig on the morning of the wedding a few weeks later.</p><p> </p><p>And everything else</p><p>While their respective nicks teem with activity and drama, Luke and Craig mostly think about each other.</p><p>Craig sits at his breakfast table one Sunday morning and draws up a pros and con list. He starts with the cons:</p><p>Against:<br/>*He’s in the force – compromises professionalism<br/>*He’s too young for me<br/>*Combines private life with working life</p><p>Craig looks at his little list and scratches out the third one because basically it’s the same as the first. That’s all the cons he can think of, so he writes up the pros.</p><p>For:<br/>*</p><p>..but he can’t think of any sensible substantial pros. He scratches his belly lightly and takes a swig of coffee.</p><p>“Doesn’t have to be sensible,” Craig decides. “I don’t have to submit it to anyone.”</p><p>For:<br/>*Very attracted to him<br/>*In the force so he understands the job<br/>*Seems nice<br/>*Takes his job seriously<br/>*Likes Rugby<br/>*Pretends not to smile at me</p><p>Craig looks at the list and considers crossing that last one off on account of it being too insubstantial, even though it doesn’t have to be submitted to anyone. The he remembers Luke in the locker room, holding his mouth tight, trying not to smile when Craig put his mouthguard in.</p><p>It was so cute. So the sixth point stays.</p><p>Luke, who has just moved in to his new flat a couple of miles away, is also sitting at the breakfast table and is also writing a list.</p><p>GROCERIES:<br/>*lemons<br/>*tuna<br/>*bread<br/>*butter<br/>*more milk<br/>*marmite<br/>*jam (sour cherry)<br/>*sponges<br/>*fairy liquid<br/>*Craig Craig Craig Craig Craig Craig</p><p>And then he stops and chews his pen. He wonders what would happen if he were to ring tall, dark-eyed, single, gay Craig and ask him out.</p><p>It would be awful if he said no. But he said sorry when he tackled me. Seven times. And there was that cute thing he did in the locker with his mouthguard. He was flirting with me.</p><p>Luke smiles broadly when he remembers the look on Craig’s face. But maybe he flirts like that all the time. Not that I’ve seen him flirting. Tony said he’s really straight. Well, conservative.</p><p>Luke goes back to his list.</p><p>*Cabbage<br/>*oranges<br/>*muesli<br/>*onion     leeks<br/>Craig Craig Craig Craig Craig</p><p>And anyway, by rights, he should ask me out. He knows what he’s doing. I haven’t got a clue.</p><p>Lucky escape</p><p>A few nights’ later Craig joins some old friends at a pub in Camden after work. The talk is civilised and merry.</p><p>Craig is rinsing his hands in the bathroom when a spectacularly handsome man approaches him.</p><p>“You come ‘ere alone, gorgeous?” the spectacularly handsome man says to Craig.</p><p>“I did,” he answers. No one can be that good looking. It’s not possible.</p><p>“Want to leave with me?” the spectacularly handsome man leers.</p><p>“We haven’t met,” Craig says politely.</p><p>“Carl,” the younger man says, extending his hand.</p><p>“Thanks, Carl, but the pick-up-in-the-toilet-routine never really did it for me.”</p><p>And Craig walks out, leaving Carl to wait for the next likely suspect.</p><p>Luckier escape</p><p> “You coming to the stag night?” a rather grumpy Sergeant Dawkins asks Luke and a few other constables on the lunch queue in the canteen.</p><p>The are a few assorted affirmations.</p><p>“Dunno the stag,” Luke says. I’m not going, not for anything.</p><p>“Are they all lawyers?” another PC asks.</p><p>Dawkins shakes his Nordic head. “Some of them are architects.” He chooses the beef stew for lunch. “Some of the coppers from Sun Hill are going too.”</p><p>Well, it wouldn’t hurt to go to one once, Luke decides.</p><p>In other news, the bride, who could be more adequately described as browning instead of blushing, chooses a spectacular frock from Marni and pays for it with her fiancee’s credit card.  That very same day Sergeant Gilmore congratulates Cass for her part in helping catch the Sun Hill serial killer.</p><p>“Pity, though,” Cass tells Craig over a cup of tea in the canteen, “Don’t know where that leaves me an’ Simon.”</p><p>“Well, love always finds a way,” the kindly Sergeant says. “Even if his sister is a cold blooded killer, there’s no reason why you can’t be happy.”</p><p>“True,” Cass agrees optimistically. Sarge. What a bloke. If only he was a girl. We’d be such great mates. “Yer goin’ to Martin’s stag night?” Cass asks.</p><p>“Just for a few hours,” Craig replies. He checks his watch and gulps back his tea. “I’ll have to get a move on. Good work today, heh?”</p><p>“Thanks Sarge. You ‘ave a good night tonight, and play nice with the other kids!”</p><p>He smiles warmly and leaves her to dream about Simon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. At the pub.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything I hate about the human condition all in one room, Craig decides as he sees the swarms of drunken men lolling over the bar, swearing, belching, drinking scotch.</p><p>The refined Sergeant inches his way over the Coppers’ Table. He winces inwardly as Sergeant Dawkins moves to make room for him, and the following second rejoices inwardly when he spies balltearing halfback Constable Ashton nursing a beer amongst the throng.</p><p>Ashton looks up briefly, sees tall, dark-eyed, single, gay Craig looking at him, then looks straight down into his beer.</p><p>Luke fills with the incomparable anticipation of spending the evening in the vicinity of someone on whom you have a crush.  Anything might happen.</p><p>Craig reluctantly sits near Dawkins; there are three people between him and Ashton. The sergeant chooses not to contribute to the conversation on the Sun Hill Serial Killer, but instead works out how he might manipulate his way around the three people.</p><p>Luke, draining his beer, is a couple of steps ahead of him.</p><p>“Anyone want another drink?” Luke asks the table.    </p><p>There is cacophony of orders.</p><p>“I’ll give you a hand,” Craig offers.</p><p> </p><p>Drinks, anyone</p><p>Luke is standing at the counter with Craig, trying to think of a way to flirt subtly as he waits for the barman.</p><p>Craig, meanwhile, has been struck by the bolt of shyness that afflicts him at the most inopportune moments.</p><p>Luke looks up at him and smiles.</p><p>“So…” Ashton tries. “Come here often?”</p><p>Craig just looks at him. He is actually a little dumbstruck by how attractive the young constable is. Come here often. Oh! He means me!</p><p>Craig smiles at him, a handsome full powered genuine grin that makes Luke’s heart thump.</p><p>“No,” he says happily. “Hate the place. You?”</p><p>“Nope,” Luke says quickly, relieved his lame joke wasn’t quite as atrocious as it initially appeared.</p><p>“Whadd’le it be?” the barman shouts.</p><p>Luke orders the assorted beers and spirits. Craig is very impressed that he remembers them all.</p><p>“And do you do cocktails?” Craig asks.</p><p>The barman nods.</p><p>“I want a pink one with paper umbrellas,” Craig says.</p><p>The barman, who deals with this kind of thing all night, is nonplussed.</p><p>“Pink Pussycat alright?”</p><p>“Perfect,” Craig agrees.</p><p>Luke is a little worried.</p><p>“Not for me,” Craig assures him. “A little something special for Matt Boyden.”</p><p>This little speck of naughtiness delights Luke; he flashes back his own special smile, charming, youthful and sincere.</p><p>He’s too attractive to be interested in me, Craig panics for minute.</p><p>“You lousy bloody poof Gilmore,” Boyden snarls when Craig gives him the pretty drink. The other drinkers are raucously appreciative.</p><p>“I’ve always thought pink was your colour, Matt,” Gilmore says graciously, sitting next to Luke. Dawkins is now two people away from Craig.</p><p>When they all remember that Martin’s friends with too much money are paying the tab, many more cocktails make their way back to the table. Luke goes vermilion when PC Harrow brings him back, with the next order, a cocksucking cowboy. Craig doesn’t bat an eyelid when Gary Best brings him back a legopener.</p><p>Personal space</p><p>Soon the table is littered with gaily coloured paper umbrellas and little plastic animals. The discussion is getting drunker, louder, funnier and somewhat ribald.  Various lawyers and architects have joined in, tucking paper umbrellas behind their ears and arranging the little plastic animals in lewd positions.</p><p>Luke is sitting next to his Sergeant of choice and can feel Craig’s hard thigh against his own. Every now and then Craig absently rubs his own thigh with his hand. With a belly full of cold blood and rigid nerve endings, Luke casually puts his own fingers on his own thigh to see what happens next time Craig moves his hand.</p><p>Craig doesn’t notice Luke’s hand until he idly rests his hand in his lap a few seconds later. The side of his hand lightly passes against the side of Luke’s hand.</p><p>Luke is looking over at Tony and Gary, who are talking about dating services. Luke keeps his hand very, very still.</p><p>Craig, chatting with Dawkins, Matt and some PC whose name he can’t remember for the life of him, notices that Luke doesn’t move his hand.</p><p>So, for a few seconds, neither does Craig.</p><p>Luke takes a good swig of his scotch, a deep breath, and gently moves his little finger over Craig’s hand.</p><p>Then he waits, seemingly engrossed in the conversation with Tony and Gary. Gilmore’s hand is stationary. But it doesn’t move.</p><p>Oh fuck, thinks Luke. Oh fuck, fuck and more fuck. I’m an idiot. He’s not interested. </p><p>Luke is just about to move his hand when he feels four Gilmore fingers lightly sweep over the still Ashton hand. It is over in less than a second.  Both gestures could have been completely accidental. There is no indication from either of them that the flirting is now officially underway.</p><p>“Anyone want another drink?” Craig says, standing up.</p><p>And before Luke can answer, Dawkins is on his feet, calling for more orders.</p><p>When Craig gets back, more solicitors have joined the throng, and Luke is five people away from him.</p><p>Craig brings Luke a fluffy duck, complete with an orange umbrella and a little blue plastic duck stuck on the side of the glass. He looks straight in to Luke’s excited eyes when he places it front of him. Luke grins at him, sips the sickly green drink and waits until no one is looking so he can slip the little plastic duck safely in his jacket pocket.</p><p>Odds on</p><p>By the time the party is tossed out of the pub the groom is completely legless.</p><p>Craig, sensible and well meaning even after a few whiskies and some excruciating cocktails, watches carefully to see that Martin will be alright.</p><p>It doesn’t seem that way. Several of Martin’s friends have already jammed into taxis and headed for some particular clubs in Soho.</p><p>The other coppers are not too concerned by what happens to the groom either. Some have to work tomorrow, some have days off and are going to the wedding, others are too drunk to recall precisely where they are at the moment, let alone what’s happening tomorrow.</p><p>Craig and Luke sort of hang around near one another, trying to work out what the other is doing, acting as if they can’t even see each other.</p><p>They end up standing either side of the inebriated Martin, and decide, with completely straight faces, that it is their duty to deliver Martin safely to his bed.</p><p>Martin ends up being supported by Luke and Craig, who, between them, haul him into a taxi.</p><p>“Westminster Hotel, Covent Garden,” Martin slurs at the driver, before slumping like a corpse between Luke and Craig.</p><p>“Westminster Hotel Covent Garden?” Luke whispers to Craig.</p><p>Martin sits bolt upright.</p><p>“Bad luck for the bride to see the groom,” he says, his face pushed up to Craig. Craig shudders visibly. He finds Martin phenomenally unattractive, and his breath is not unlike the smell of rotting fish.</p><p>“Bad luck for the bride to see the groom,” Craig says to Luke when Martin slumps forward again.</p><p>“Actually, it’s the other way around,” Luke clarifies.</p><p>Craig looks at him.</p><p>Luke stares back.</p><p>The both twitch a little bit, trying not to smile.</p><p>“Bad luck for the groom to see the bride,” Craig says.</p><p>“Exactly,” Luke says.</p><p>Craig pays the taxi driver when they get to the hotel. Luke holds the dead weight of Martin.</p><p>The stylish, softly spoken woman on the counter gives them the plastic magnetic disk, which will let them in to the hotel room.</p><p>“I hate hotel rooms,” Luke says as they hold Martin in the lift.</p><p>“Me too,” Craig answers. “I hate confined spaces.”</p><p>They both gasp when they see the magnificent suite Martin’s friends have paid for. It is huge, pale and tasteful, beautifully appointed. There are large glass windows that look out towards Charring Cross. The bedroom is white and beige.</p><p>“My mates,” Martin tells them in halting, dragging words. “My fabulous mates paid for this room.” He looks from Craig to Luke with his heavy unfocussed eyes. “I love my mates. Great blokes. The best blokes.”</p><p>Craig and Luke look at each other then look at the suite again.</p><p>There is a spa in the bathroom.</p><p>Chilled champagne on the table.</p><p>A big bowl of fruit of near the wide screen television.</p><p>Belgian chocolate in the fridge.</p><p>240 thread cotton percale linen on the bed.</p><p>Then they look at the wasted Martin, who is to be married in twelve hours.</p><p>“Should we put him in the shower?” Luke asks Craig.</p><p>“We could,” Craig muses.</p><p>“Love a shower,” the drunken Martin slobbers at no one in particular. He has forgotten where he is, and has no idea who Luke and Craig are.</p><p>“We’ll make the decisions here,” Craig says in a mock stern Sergeant tone.</p><p>Luke sniggers.</p><p>There is violent knocking on the door.</p><p>They ease Martin on to the leather couch and open the door. It is three of Martin friends, looking to continue the stag night.</p><p>“We’ve found you some girls,” they say at the same time. “Come on, mate, up you get.”</p><p>The three men gather Martin up and proceed to walk him to the door. Four bored women, a little pissed themselves, hang around the doorway.</p><p>“Taking Martin to a party at Debbie’s house,” one of the less drunk friends explains.</p><p>Debbie waggles her fingers at Craig. Craig is taken aback somewhat.</p><p>“He’s very drunk,” Luke explains to the friends. “He should be in bed.”</p><p>“Oh, he will be,” the friends all laugh. “Come on mate.”</p><p>And Martin disappears with the three friends and the four women. Debbie gives Craig another quick look then looks more closely at Luke.</p><p>Oh. Poofs.</p><p>They all stagger off in to the night.</p><p>“And then there were two,” Craig says to Luke.</p><p>They stand in the middle of the beautiful room.</p><p>Fruit.</p><p>Champagne.</p><p>Chocolate.</p><p>Spa.</p><p>But they’re men, after all.</p><p>Wide screen television!</p><p>Luke picks up the remote control. Craig picks up the guide to the in house movies.</p><p>“The Gift is on,” Craig notes.</p><p>“I really want to see that!” says Luke.</p><p>So they sit on the beautiful lounge and watch The Gift. The both secretly have a bit of an issue with Keanu Reeves.</p><p>They have turns at the remote control.</p><p>Halfway through, just before the dead girl appears in the trees, Luke looks over at the champagne. The ice in the bucket is melting; little cold drops are plopping on the walnut table.</p><p>“We should do some thing about that,” he tells Craig.</p><p>Craig gets up and checks the bottle.</p><p>“We should,” he agrees. “Later. Let’s eat all the fruit first.”</p><p>So they do.</p><p>Just as the movie finishes there is another violent knocking on the door.</p><p>It is another two of Martin friends.</p><p>“Where is he?” they roar, staggering through the suite.</p><p>“Gone to a party at Debbie’s,” Craig tells them.</p><p>“Why are you here?” the drunker friend asks.</p><p>Craig has no idea. It is hardly appropriate to say he is hanging around Luke to see what happens.</p><p>“Martin told us to wait here,” Luke says quickly.</p><p>“Oh,” the friend says, as if he is aware of an in-joke that Craig and Luke aren’t in on. “Ohhhh.”</p><p>Craig is looking at Luke with quiet admiration. What a great lie.</p><p>“Well,” says the friend, who has just blown two hundred quid in a strip club, “you pair hang on to these.” He hands Craig a small package,“and I’ll go to Debbie’s to find Martin.”</p><p>And the two drunks leave.</p><p>“What did he give you?” Luke asks.</p><p>Craig looks at Luke, then at the fridge, then at the champagne.</p><p>“Gambling man?” Craig asks him, his eyes glittering.</p><p> </p><p>Raise you</p><p>“I’ll see your truffle and raise you a praline,” says Luke.</p><p>He and Craig are stretched out on the floor, head to head, playing poker for Belgian chocolates. They are using the mysterious package the drunk handed to Craig - a deck of cards Martin’s friend won at the strip club. Each card is decorated with an offensive pornographic image of an impossibly built blonde.</p><p>Craig and Luke are far more interested in the chocolates.</p><p>They are fairly evenly matched. As soon as one gets ahead, the other eats his winnings.</p><p>It is a splendid game. They have gambled precisely half way through a two-pound box of very expensive chocolates, but have decided to save the champagne for later on.  Thus they are drinking bottles of Hahn from the minibar. </p><p>“I’ll see your praline and raise you a nut supreme,” Craig challenges. Luke doesn’t understand a word he says because Craig is eating a very hard, chewy chocolate-coated nougat.</p><p>“Wot?” Luke says with an intentionally stupid face.</p><p>And they both laugh, a bit drunk, but not dangerously so. Sober enough to know what they’re doing, Craig feels. Drunk enough not to care, Luke feels.</p><p>Luke tosses his cards besides him, face up so Craig can see them, and unwraps an orange peel cluster. (It is a very dark soft chocolate tacked with tiny pieces of orange peel. Mmmm.)</p><p>“Sick of this game?” Craig says, still fairly indistinct.</p><p>“No.” Luke pulls an obviously bored face as he rolls his tongue around the rich chocolate.</p><p>And they both laugh.</p><p>“We could play another game,” Craig says.</p><p>“Fish?” Luke asks.</p><p>“If you want,” Craig says. “Or something else.”</p><p>They both really want to play strip poker, and they’re both too shy to say so.</p><p>“What else?” says Luke. His lips are lightly daubed in chocolate.</p><p>“Gin rummy?” Craig suggests, looking at the chocolaty lips. Mmmm.</p><p>“What else?”</p><p>“Bridge?”</p><p>“What else?”</p><p>“Twenty one?”</p><p>“What else?” Luke is grinning now. He knows that Craig knows what he wants to hear.</p><p>“Wellllll,” Craig says as he gathers up the cards and starts shuffling them, “if you were a bit more daring we could play strip poker.”</p><p>“Welllllll, we could, but I’d just beat you,” Luke says back.</p><p>“Ohhhhh, no you wouldn’t,” Craig says as he deals the first hand.</p><p>“Ohhhhh, yes I would,” Luke answers as he picks up his cards.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile</p><p>The bride is holding court with Gina, Gemma and Robbie in her tasteful minimalist apartment. Chrome and white as far the eye can see.</p><p>“I’m just so lucky to have Martin,” Kerry squeaks for the eighth time that night. I just can’t believe I’ll be his wife this time tomorrow!”</p><p>I give it six months, Gina, Gemma and Robbie all think as they smile at her.</p><p>Across town, Martin and his friends are standing on the Eurostar station at Waterloo. The groom’s friends are going to play a little trick on him.</p><p> </p><p>Pair of queens</p><p>“Pair of queens beats a pair of eights,” Craig says decisively.</p><p>They are still head to head. They are full of chocolate, sick of beer and now drinking chilled water from the fridge.</p><p>Luke is wearing one sock, a small leather thong around his neck and his trousers and his underwear.</p><p>Craig has both socks and his trousers and underwear.</p><p>Luke’s losing.</p><p>He is about to peel off his sock when Craig quickly gathers the deck and cuts it.</p><p>“Double or nothing?”</p><p>“Double or nothing what?” Luke asks, mid sock.</p><p>“We both pick a card, and if you win, keep the sock. If I win, I chose what you lose.”</p><p>Luke smirks at him and chooses a card.</p><p>Craig takes one too. His face is completely still.</p><p>“King of Hearts,” Luke says smugly.</p><p>Craig keeps his face still for a few more seconds, holding Luke’s gaze the whole time. Then he gently lets the card flutter between them.</p><p>Ace of diamonds.</p><p>“I’ll take the trousers, thank you,” Craig says in a soft voice.</p><p> </p><p>All aboard</p><p>“One first class to Brussels,” Martin’s deplorable friend says to the ticket clerk at Waterloo.</p><p>“What about me?” whimpers the hapless Debbie.</p><p>“Oops,” says the friend, sliding his silver Amex across the counter, “better make that two.”</p><p> </p><p>Comfort zone</p><p>“Double or nothing?” Luke says as Craig is about to lose a sock.</p><p>Craig looks him square in the eye.</p><p>“No thanks,” he says pleasantly.</p><p>“Hey!” Luke tosses his cards down. “Double or nothing!”</p><p>Craig shakes his head.</p><p>“My choice!” Luke insists. He is lying on the floor in a pair of white boxer briefs (just a touch of lycra) that fit beautifully. He is reluctant to move from his face down position because he is so obviously excited. He has no idea that Craig is in the same rather uncomfortable state.   </p><p>Craig shakes his head as he reaches back to remove a sock.</p><p>“Lose the pants, Gilmore,” Luke says in his sternest voice.</p><p>“No,” Craig answers with the sweetest of smiles.</p><p>“Get ‘em off! I have!”</p><p>“And you look fantastic,” he says, smiling suggestively, tugging ineffectually at his sock.</p><p>“Drop your pants or I’ll take them off myself.”</p><p>Luke instantly wishes he hadn’t said this. The moment he moves Craig is going to see how excited he is. Then he is actually going to have to wrestle Craig to get his clothes off.</p><p>Craig keeps tugging at his sock.</p><p>“Trousers,” Luke warns.</p><p>Craig shakes his head and waits.</p><p>Luke stares at him, hesitates for a few seconds more because he knows once he lunges to remove those clothes, that’s it.</p><p>Craig waits.</p><p>Luke takes a deep breath and springs up, tossing cards everywhere, throwing himself on the Sergeant who is helpless with laughter and holding on to his trousers. They wrestle for control of the trousers until, as you would expect, they end up face to face, lips almost touching.</p><p>Luke has a last minute panic.</p><p>“I’ve never done this before,” he confesses.</p><p>“What?” Craig almost whispers. “Torn a man’s trousers from him?”</p><p>He can feel Craig’s breath on his face, a delectable mixture of chocolate with a faint note of beer.</p><p>“Been with a man,” Luke says.</p><p>“Haven’t you?” Craig is a little surprised.</p><p>Luke shakes his head, looks at the lips.</p><p>“It’s fun,” Craig says softly, instantly easing his hold, growing more gentle.</p><p>Luke smiles. “I’m not sure what to do.”</p><p>“Do whatever makes you comfortable,” Craig says.</p><p>Luke wonders what would make him comfortable.</p><p>“We don’t have to do anything,” Craig adds, relaxing his body, making it very easy for Luke to get away.</p><p>Luke stays where he is, still tugging a little at Craig’s trousers.</p><p>“The spa makes me comfortable,” Luke says very quietly. His face is only inches from Craig’s. It is no effort at all to lean over and kiss his lips. Craig closes his eyes at the brief delicate papery touch, and quickly flicks his tongue where Luke’s lips have been, as if he might be able to taste the tiny kiss again.</p><p>“Let’s get you comfortable,” Craig whispers against his mouth. “Help me with these trousers.”</p><p>Pappling</p><p>They’re both a bit nervous of the spa.</p><p>They’ve filled it up, taken off their clothes, and are both kneeling at the side of the large tub, leaning over the edge, pappling the surface of the water with their fingertips.</p><p>The champagne stands in its bucket on the floor besides them.</p><p>“I just worry I’ll get my leg caught in it or something,” Luke says. It’s the Or Something that worries him most.</p><p>Craig winces. “I’m worried about getting electrocuted.”</p><p>They both papple a bit more.</p><p>“Tell you what, you get in, I’ll turn it on and if you’re okay I’ll get in too,” Luke suggests.</p><p>Craig laughs out loud.</p><p>“You know,” he says, playing along, “That’s a great idea. Here’s a better one. You get in first, I’ll turn it on and if you don’t lose any body parts I’ll get in with you.”</p><p>Luke laughs out loud.</p><p>“Do you think you could lose a body part in those jets?”</p><p>Craig wonders as he papples.</p><p>“They probably wouldn’t be allowed to sell them if they maimed people,” he concludes.</p><p>Sounds reasonable. “Well, it would be the same with the electrocuting bit,” Luke reasons.</p><p>They move a little closer, their dry, soft skins brushing together.</p><p>“We could both get in, turn it on and die together,” Luke suggests.</p><p>Craig papples a bit more.</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>So they clamber in, delicately ignoring the ferocious state of arousal both are now in.</p><p>They ease themselves in to the very large tub and warm water laps around their chest.</p><p> </p><p>Kiss</p><p>There’s lot’s of room once they settle down, fit their legs around each other and rest their backs against the wall of the tub.</p><p>Luke smiles first when he realises he is naked in a spa with tall, dark-eyed, single gay Craig, also naked and the centre of his thoughts for months.</p><p>Craig smiles back when he realises he is naked in a spa in a fiendishly expensive hotel in Covent Garden with naked balltearing halfback Luke, the centre of his thought for months.</p><p>And there’s the champagne.</p><p>“Are you comfortable?” Craig asks.</p><p>Luke nods.</p><p>“Should I fire her up?”</p><p>Luke nods again.   </p><p>Craig rests his fingers on the switch on the far edge of the tub.</p><p>They look at each others’ eyes on for several seconds.</p><p>“WAIT!!” Luke yells, just before Craig flicks the switch.</p><p>He slips through the warm water right up against Craig, so they’re face to face, inches apart, again.</p><p>“What?” Craig asks, looking into his handsome face, slipping his free arm around his waist.</p><p>“I got scared,” the slightly drunk Ashton says with a hint of a pout.</p><p>“Don’t be scared,” the slightly drunk Gilmore whispers into his ear, cupping his face with a wet hand. “I’ll look after you.”</p><p>And so their first really proper kiss was in a hot bubbly spa, in a ludicrously expensive hotel room in Covent Garden.</p><p>Delicious.</p><p> </p><p>Great</p><p>It turns out that there was nothing to be scared of all. Neither man was electrocuted, nor did he lose a limb or something else in one of the jets.</p><p>“Oh God this is great,” Luke groans. He actually means being gay but it’s hard to tell because Craig is now kneeling over him, gently chewing at his nipples as hot powerful jets of water massage their skin.</p><p>Craig thinks he means it’s great having his nipples chewed in a hot spa, and agrees. “Great,” he echoes. He thinks it’s great having Luke gently rake his fingernails down his back and knead the muscles of his firm arse.</p><p>They explore their definitions of great several times in the spa. Luke finds it great to kneel astride someone and be masturbated as a warm torrent of water swirls around your thighs. </p><p>Craig learns its great to sit on the edge of the tub and enjoy oral sex from someone who is largely guessing as to what they should be doing. He concludes, as Luke holds his thighs apart and administers his mouth slowly, that Luke has great instinct for this specific task.</p><p>Luke thinks it s great that giving a man oral sex is a good deal easier than he imagined. He finds it really great that Craig tastes so sweet, moans so loudly and feels so right under his hands and mouth. He thinks it’s absolutely great that the first man he brings to climax is tall, dark-eyed Craig, who, as far as Luke is concerned, is no longer single.</p><p>“Have to get a spa,” Craig moans when Luke pulls him gently back in the tub.</p><p>Luke nods. “Have to have some champagne,” he adds, his mouth ripe with the essence of Craig. He’s very pleased with himself, satisfying tall, dark-eyed Craig so effectively on his first attempt. I am so gay, he thinks delightedly, kissing the tiny felted patch of skin behind Craig’s earlobe.</p><p>Champagne to celebrate!</p><p>They untwist the cork together, shriek like girls when the cork pops just enough and lands in the spa with them while they both slurp the fizz that runs down the cool glassy neck of the bottle.</p><p>Then Craig takes a big gulp, turns his face to Luke who understands immediately and puts his lips to Craig’s, who squirts champagne into his mouth.</p><p>“Champagne transplant,” he whispers to Luke.</p><p>They finish the bottle this way. Then Luke decides it time to find out what’s so great about oral sex from an experienced affectionate man whose mouth is slightly cold from chilled French champagne.</p><p>Craig cannot remember anything being as great as being on his knees in agitated warm water in front of a well built, horny, twenty four year old who makes no secret of his vast appreciation of Craig’s considerable skills.</p><p>“Oh God that was great,” Luke pants at Craig a few minutes later, although it was so great it so many ways it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why.</p><p>“You’re great,” Craig tells him as they wrap their wet arms around each other.</p><p>They’re greatly satisfied, kissing tenderly and deeply in the gurgling water, both entirely convinced that they are great together.</p><p>“You know what’d be great?” Craig asks Luke mid kiss.</p><p>Spending the rest of my life with you, is Luke’s first thought, but he thinks it might be a bit early to make this declaration. So he opts for his second thought.</p><p>“Food?”</p><p>Craig smiles and runs his tongue along the soft bulb of Luke’s bottom lip.</p><p>“Food.”</p><p>So they get out of the tub, dripping wet and flushed with warmth, make extravagant use of the big fat fluffy towels and settle in to Martin’s king sized bed. The fresh cotton sheets are nothing short of glorious.</p><p>Craig calls room service and uses his most serious voice as Luke watches him with wide eyed, adoring wonder.</p><p>While they wait for their late night snack they chat in bed – how old are you? How long in the force? Wales – whereabouts? Medecins Sans Frontier? Really?  When did you make Sergeant?  - and they find it all great.</p><p>“Wonder what happened to Martin?” Craig asks as he and Luke tuck into club sandwiches at four in the morning.</p><p>“Who cares,” Luke giggles with a full mouth.</p><p>Location, location</p><p> “Where are we?” Martin asks the barely conscious Debbie as the train pulls in to Brussels.</p><p>Other people’s problems</p><p>Robbie Cryer is whimpering at Kerry’s front door, hesitating about knocking.</p><p>Gina Gold is sitting up in Kerry’s bed, starting the day with a lungful of tar and carbon monoxide.</p><p>Kerry is sitting in her lovely lounge room with a glass of hot water and lemon (prevents bloating) and chattering to her hairdresser, who is wrapping strands of brittle white-gold hair in gigantic rollers.</p><p>All hell is about to break loose.</p><p>The main problem</p><p> “Brussels?” Martin roars at the completely unconcerned station guard after he staggers from the train. “I’m getting married in five hours!”</p><p>“Congratulations, sir,” the guard says with a delicate Flemish accent.</p><p>“IN LONDON YOU FUCKING FOOL!!!” Martin sprays.</p><p>“Not my problem,” the guard answers.</p><p> </p><p>No problems</p><p>You are so cute!</p><p>Luke is propped up against six plump soft pillows, watching the softly snoring tall, dark-eyed Craig in his arms.</p><p>It feels fine, Luke thinks as he holds the older man. There’s nothing to be frightened of. It was beautiful. He’s beautiful. I am so lucky!</p><p>Sergeant Gilmore is sound asleep with his head against Luke’s strong chest. In his sleep Craig is vaguely aware of two powerful arms wrapped around him, then stirs just a little when one arms moves, and he feels a gentle hand pushing fingers through his thick badly behaved hair.</p><p>He is waking up very slowly. I’m with someone, he realises as his thoughts rise inch by inch through his sleepy haze. Someone who smells very nice and clean, some one warm and strong. They’re kissing my forehead very softly.</p><p>Craig’s long straight lashes flicker a little.</p><p>He opens his eyes to see Luke smiling at him.</p><p>It would have been perfect had Gina not chosen that moment to harass a terrified cleaner who risked her job by allowing the Inspector entry to their room.</p><p>“Martin!” Gina is yelling as she storms in to the suite.</p><p>She stops short when confronted by several confusing images.</p><p>The fruit bowl near the television is full of cores and peels.</p><p>Nearby there are various little heaps of clothes on the floor, circling a scattered deck of pornographic playing cards. Those breasts can’t be real, she thinks briefly as she clocks the model on the cards.</p><p>Then she sees a large box of European chocolates that has been very well attended to.</p><p>There’s an empty champagne bottle floating in the spa in the bathroom.</p><p>There are empty beer bottles, and plates with crumbs and little toothpicks and crumpled serviettes, on a tray near the bed.</p><p>Someone’s had quite a party. </p><p>Then she sees her best sergeant, sleepy and looking very pleased with himself, curled up the arms of a younger man who is looking at her with a combination of confusion, nervousness and amusement. He is stroking the best Sergeant’s head.</p><p>Craig turns lazily around and looks at Gina, then turns back to look at what he believes is far more satisfying sight.</p><p>PC Ashton, how wonderful you are.</p><p>“Craig?” is the first thing Gina says.</p><p>Craig stretches his long strong body slowly and luxuriously. Marvelous, comfortable Luke.</p><p>“Morning Gina,” he says, but the greeting is largely muffled against Luke’s chest.</p><p>“I’m almost nervous to ask where Martin is.”</p><p>Craig thinks for a moment. Martin. Martin.</p><p>“Dunno,” he says eventually. “Luke,” he smiles.</p><p>“He just woke up,” Luke says politely.</p><p>“And by the sound of it he’s had a very hard night.”</p><p>That’s one way of putting it, Luke thinks, but says nothing.</p><p>Gina takes a couple of tentative steps towards the bed, as if she is nervous of scaring both men away.</p><p>Neither moves.</p><p>“Craig, I have a crisis.”</p><p>Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm?” Craig says melodically, his eyes closed and his cheek pressed against Luke’s warm flesh.</p><p>“Craig, wake up. Kerry’s hysterical, the venue for the reception has burnt down over night and now Martin’s missing. Craig!”</p><p>“Craig sleep now,” her best sergeant mumbles, tucking his arms more securely around Luke.</p><p>“Who’s Kerry?” Luke wonders out loud.</p><p>“One of Sleeping Beauty’s here relief,” Gina explains. “The Bride. Who are you?”</p><p>“Who are you?” Luke asks.</p><p>Gina flashes her warrant card at him. “Inspector Gina Gold, Sun Hill,” she snaps.</p><p>Oops!</p><p>“PC Luke Ashton, Barton Street, Ma’am,” he says. “Sorry.”</p><p>“Leave him alone, Gina,” Craig drawls. “He’s with me.”</p><p>Luke smiles down at the dozing best sergeant.</p><p>Gina’s mobile shrills in her bag. It is the vapid Robbie Cryer, who has some startling news.</p><p>“Oh my God,” Gina says over and over. “Oh my God.”</p><p>Craig opens his dark eyes and looks up at Luke as Gina has conniptions over the phone.</p><p>“Morning, gorgeous,” he says softly and lovingly to the man holding him.</p><p>“Hello,” Luke says, eyes shining, tenderly touching the tip of Craig’s nose.</p><p>“Oh my God,” Gina says, a little more hysterically into her phone. “BRUSSELS?”</p><p>“Brussels?” Craig repeats to Luke.</p><p>“Brussels,” Luke answers.</p><p>“Brussels,” Craig says vaguely again. He rolls from the warm arms on to his belly, propping himself up next to Luke.</p><p>“What’s for breakfast?”</p><p>Luke turns on his side to face him. “What do you feel like?”</p><p>Gina is barking instructions down her mobile. Something about booking a ticket on the Eurostar.</p><p>“Lots of Luke,” Craig whispers with a ribald grin.</p><p>“Can we lose the Inspector?” Luke whispers back.</p><p>“I thought we could ask her to join us.”</p><p>Luke’s face is still.</p><p>“Joke,” Craig mouths, and plants a tiny kiss on Luke’s cheek.</p><p>“Oh, when you’re finished, Sergeant,” Gina sneers, snapping her mobile shut. She walks over and sits herself on the edge of the bed, fishing in her bag for her cigarettes. Luke is horrified.</p><p>“So where’s Martin?” Craig asks, rolling over and folding his arms behind his head.</p><p>My God his chest is huge, Luke thinks as he discretely pulls the covers up over both of them.</p><p>“Brussels. With a prostitute.”  She blows smoke over the room.</p><p>Craig winces. “How’s Kerry?”</p><p>“She was smashing china when Robbie spoke to me,” Gina says calmly. She thinks for a moment. “I’ve heard your name before. Didn’t you used to work at Sun Hill?” she asks Luke.</p><p>Luke nods. “A couple of years ago, Ma’am.”</p><p>“Where are you now?”</p><p>“Barton Street.”</p><p>“How’s Barton Street?”</p><p>“Good. I’m really happy there.”</p><p>“Good.” They watch her smoking, thinking.</p><p>“Well, I suppose I should get back to Kerry and help Robbie clean up the mess,” she says after a few more puffs.  She looks at the men in bed. “What are you going to do?” she asks Craig.</p><p>“Thought we might order some breakfast.”</p><p>“I mean about Kerry.”</p><p>Craig shrugs. “Well, I’m sorry for her, but what can I do?” He can feel Luke’s hand surreptitiously slipping over his hip. “Not really my problem.”</p><p>Greater</p><p>After Gina’s gone, Luke opens all the windows while Craig orders an unnecessarily large breakfast for them both.  They briefly revisit last night’s greatness in the shower before room service arrives.</p><p> “I want to ask you something,” Craig asks Luke as he wraps one giant plush towel around them both.</p><p> Luke looks at him, agreeable, waiting.</p><p>“Did you enjoy yourself last night?”</p><p>A flush of pink pleasure spreads over Luke’s face.</p><p>“Absolutely,” he says. “It was great.”</p><p>Craig smiles. “Do you feel ready for a relationship?”</p><p>Luke is certain he very ready for a relationship. He just doesn’t know how to do it yet.</p><p>“I’ve never had a  - you know, I’ve never been in a relationship with a man.” He strokes Craig’s damp face softly. “I really want to, though.”</p><p>“It’s fun,” Craig says softly, just like he did last night. He dabs a row of tiny kisses along the side of Luke’s face and his heart fills with courage and trust. “I loved you the moment I saw you.”</p><p>“When?” Luke is astonished.</p><p>“Clown siege. Krista was talking about you and I was fascinated with you before I met you. I remember the first time I saw you, remember exactly what I was doing, the moment I laid eyes on you.”</p><p>Luke lifts the towel and rubs Craig’s thick dripping hair. “I didn’t think you noticed me. I thought it was me who had it bad for you.”</p><p>“You had it bad for me?” Craig looks out from the hood of towel around his head.</p><p>“For months. I only went last night in case you were there.”</p><p>Craig is delighted. “Really?”</p><p>Luke nods and gives him a teasing smile. “I thought you might be interested in Dawkins but.”</p><p>Craig makes his feelings about Dawkins very clear. “Bleahhhhhh!”</p><p>They laugh, and rub their clean whiskery faces together, the light hearted tenderness of their coupling gradually growing heavy and intimate as they kiss deeper and deeper.</p><p>They can both feel it.</p><p>“I mean it,” Craig whispers in his ear. “I love you.”</p><p>Beautiful, tall, dark-eyed Craig!</p><p>“I love you too,” Luke whispers back.</p><p>Later over breakfast, as they make soupy eyes at one another over the smoked salmon, they talk about feeling so strongly about each other for so long and not doing anything about it.</p><p>“Did you know you loved me all that time?” Luke asks, passing Craig a silver platter of assorted fruit slices.</p><p>He nods, his mouth full, and raises his eyebrows by way of asking the same question.</p><p>“Oh yeah,” Luke says straight in to his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Could it be any worse</p><p> “I can’t believe he could do this to me!” Kerry howls with an ugly smeared wailing face.</p><p>Robbie is a marvel, serving hot drinks, patting her hand, offering tissues by the minute.</p><p>“Was there anyone at the hotel?” Kerry asks, puffy eyed and sniveling.</p><p>Gina wonders how she might explain it, then realises she never actually found out how Sergeant Gilmore and PC Ashton ended up in the suite.</p><p>“No,” Gina says.</p><p> </p><p>Great things for them both</p><p>“Poor thing,” Luke says to Craig on the tube back to Sun Hill.</p><p>Craig agrees. “I suppose I’ll have to change the recreation leave to stress leave when I get back to work on Monday.”</p><p>“She’ll get over it though. Better to find out now than a few months’ time.”</p><p>“True.”</p><p>He looks at Luke sitting opposite him.  So damned cute.</p><p>“Our stop,” Luke says, as the train pulls in to Sun Hill.</p><p>They walk towards the main street.</p><p>“I’m down here,” Luke says.</p><p>“I’m over the other side,” Craig answers.</p><p>They stand on the corner of a busy intersection. Crossroads, as it were.</p><p>“Give me your mobile number,” they say to each other almost at the same time.</p><p>They punch the numbers into their phones then stand facing each other as traffic whizzes past them.</p><p>“I had the best time last night,” Luke tells him. “Thank you.”</p><p>“My pleasure,” Craig replies truthfully.</p><p>“Mine too!”  </p><p>They look at one another, so handsome and so perfect, even in this dreary daylight. Craig has another shocking bolt of shyness, Luke is guessing at the next step.</p><p>But it doesn’t matter if I make a mistake, he realises. Craig will know what I mean.</p><p>“When can I see you again?” Luke tries.  </p><p>“Tonight could be good,” Craig grins. “Dinner?”</p><p>Luke grins back. This is simple. “Sure!” He looks up at Craig, ready to kiss him goodbye, but is snagged on a thought.</p><p>“Tell me,” Craig asks when he sees the look in Luke’s eyes.</p><p>“I thought that even if I found the right man it would be really – well, you know, difficult.” He touches Craig’s hand.  “Thanks for making it so easy.”</p><p>“If only everything was as easy as this,” Craig agrees, taking the hand in his own and leaning in for the kiss.</p><p>“If only,” Luke agrees, closing his eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This fanfiction was once posted at Craiggilmore.co.uk a fan site no longer active, so to preserve this story and others, I am importing them to AO3. I did not want the loss of such a large amount of amazing and wonderful fanfiction, it would be such a waste to fans of Craig Gilmore and Luke Ashton to not have the opportunity to enjoy these stories as i have. Since the site is no longer active i have been unable to contact the creators but if you happen to be them under a new pen name and want the fiction to be removed please send me a note!</p><p>Story written by - Baxter</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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